Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1887-12-28
What the Democratic Party did.

What the Democratic Party did.
In material affairs, says Whaehead's
Democrat, it is often difficult to trace the
results of legislation. Parties charge each
other with producing hard times, or making
business easy, when there will be great diff
ficulty in showing how the legislation effect
ed the people directly. Now, there are two
acts of legislation moved and carried by the
Democratic party, tho direct results of
which are palpable, and the beneficial re-
suits are seen and felt by every man.
When the South and West we're suffering
from contraction; when John Sherman was
leading the Republican party and turning
the screw of restriction and contraction of
the courency, there was clamor all over
the country for more money. The green
back movement was gaining strength SO fas t
that it was thought fat money would food
the cou ntry and business be ruined. More
money was necessity South and West.
Bankruptcy had followed the Republican
move for resumption and the consequence
was contraction. At this time Richard
Bland, of Missouri, had offered a bill in the
lower house for the issue of $500, 000, 600 of
legal tender silver money Of the old value,
called the "Dollar of the Daddies'' in del
sion. The House was then Republican and
the bill went over, but in the next Congress
Democratic House passed the bill; the cir
culation of silver began and went on.-
Money-s'lver money, with an intrinsic
value went into circulation, and the pros
perity that followed or rather the relief from
ruin was due to the increased circulation of
silver, now amounting to some $500, 0O0 600.
This is one direct Democratic act of relief.
and entities that party to the thanks of ev-
cry laboring man and farmer in the land
1t was opposed by corporations, banks, and
capitalists but to the agricultural West and
the poverty stricken South, this substantial
relief came in the silver dollar, we'll scatter
I'D among the people.
Another direct act of Democratic legisla-
ton for the benefits of the masses was the
reform of the tariff on sugar, which reduced
the price of refined granulated sugars one
half. This is about the only reform that
the war tariff has had, and this ia largely
due to our, then, Representative. Hon. j.
R. Tucker, who was q member of the COM
mittee on Ways and Means, and took active
part n this reform. 1t was not an easy
matter. The large capital invested in sugar
reaning in New York, Boston, Baltimore,
and St. Louis, was against the move and had
| almost the entire backing of the Republican
party. AS usual the Republican party was
on the side of aggregate corporate capital,
and the Democratic party for the masses
Louisiana Democrats feared injury to their
staple The Republicans raised the cry
that the Democrats had raised the tariff On
cheap sugar and reduced 1t ON ane sugar,
and was helping the rich against the poor.
Like all such declarations of the Republi
can party, the fraud concealed in this cry
was exposed and now the consumer buys at
retail for seven and a half cents per pound
the sugar he gave fifteen for few years
ago.
To prove that this was the direct result of
this Democratic reform, it is necessary to
analyze the legislation. The common coarse
sugar unfit for the table, called Millado, had
a very low rate of duty, while West India
table sugar paid high rate, and this kept
New Orleans tabls sugar high and enabled
the refneis to buy the Millado low, refine
it in New York, Boston, and Baltimore,
and sell it above the price of New Orleans;
and thus the refiner made and the consumer
paid the difference between the low cost of
the unrefned and the high price of the Ia
BILE sugar. The Democrats put up the tariff
on the Millado, which the. refiner bought
and secured revenue, cut d. wn the tariff on
table sugars ready for consumption, and
thus gave consumers West India and New
Orleans table sugar at a fair price, say six
or seven cents, and this brought down the
graduated to the same price. s, that by
this Democratic reform the government got
its duty for its support and the consumers
got the sugar at less price. The losses were
the sugar -refiners' whose dividends were
cut dowp, and what they had heretofore
gotten as high profits by high protection,
went to tho consumers.
These two acts alone will and do show
that Democratic legislation has been for the
benefit of the masses.